


Rough Seas

by Xyl



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Mer Peeta, Mermaids, Pirate Cato, if you can't tell i'm all about mermaids, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-27 22:45:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6303124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xyl/pseuds/Xyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mermaid AU. Mer Peeta & Human Cato. Peeta rescues Cato and things start to get a little rough for him. Mature content may occur eventually besides cursing so M rating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ch. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look I'm on AO3. I'm posting my stories over from FF.Net here, if you want to see the exact same things on a different website I'm over there also as Xyl, anyways enjoy.

Peeta laid on a rock, staring at the light penetrating through the turbulent waters up above. Here on the outcropping near the chasm few fish and other mer swam here he could be alone with his thoughts.

Today had been a particularly bad day, and his mom in particular was suffering another of her moods, so it was the perfect excuse to be out of the house. He laid on his back eyes closed and saw the rippling of the light through his eyelids when suddenly it went black.

He opened them with a start to see a ship up above, it was particularly large and he was startled since it was unusual to see ships of this kind around here so he decided to swim up to the surface to snoop; because let's face it living in the ocean is nice and all but some distractions were needed.

His head barely breaking the surface he was greeted by the sight of the enormous ship, seeing it below was nothing compared to actually seeing it from above with it's huge sails and mast rippling proudly in the wind.

He could also make out hints of loud conversations "...Well then get to it already!" He heard a deep voice shout. 

"Whaddya think I'm havin a tea party or sumthin.." The agitated reply went on but he couldn't hear the rest. Besides he wanted to actually see a human not just hear them and he couldn't from the side so he swam around towards the back where there happened to be a balcony with a human overlooking the sea.

Peeta made sure to stay hidden but he wanted to get so much closer. This human was very beautiful, with short blonde hair and he looked so big and muscular he strained and fought with himself but this was all he could make out from the surface of the ocean without getting closer and endangering himself. The human's gaze was so focused on the horizon; he looked like a dream against the sunset.

"...CATO!" Yelled a gruff voice snapping the blonde, who was obviously named Cato, out of his focus. "WE NEED YOU UP HERE THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME TROUBLE." 

Dammit. Peeta swore as he watched the handsome man, now named Cato, make his way back into the ship. He wanted more time to watch him and study his face and commit it to memory. But since it was too late for that he decided to remember the ship so he could come back to watch him later. Besides now this human had a name. Cato.

~xXx~

"Peeta!" His mother's sharp voice disrupted his thoughts and pulling him out of his daydreams of Cato.

"Get your head out of the surface and focus! I swear you never listen! Have heard a word of what I’ve been saying?!?" She screeched at him.

"..No.. sorry" He replied pointing his head down at the table. He often found this placate his mother.

"Well as I was saying there are stronger currents because of the weather above which could affect..." 

He had no idea what his mother was talking about, his mind was set on the surface as he pictured Cato again, thinking about the wind blowing through his hair, the way he moved, the shadows on his face. He'd been up there three times now just to watch him and he couldn't stop it just felt so-

"PEETA" His mother screeched at him again.

"Oh!" He said making it clear he wasn't paying attention, causing his brothers to snicker earning them a glare from his mother. 

"Now would you like to tell us all what's so interesting that you can't seem to focus? Hmm?"

"Oh. Umm." He fidgeted, moving his tail nervously, and wringing his hands.

"Can't you tell mom?" Interrupted one of his brothers. "The look on Peet's face, he's obviously in love."

This made his face burn which only proved his brother's point. "I'm not in love with anyone" He protested weakly.

"In love? With who?! Not that awful Cartwright girl I hope." Sneered his mother.

"Mom! Don't say that about Delly she's nice."

"She could give barnacles a run for their money in the ugly department."

Although his mother was right about Delly’s less than superior physical traits he was fed up with his mother and couldn’t stand to hear her talk this way about one of his closest and only friends. "I'm going to bed, don't insult any more of my friends" He replied getting up abruptly.

"Aww come on Peet tell us about your giiirlfriend" Chorused his brothers.

"Goodnight."

~xXx~  
God, he loved his brothers but they could be less nosey with his mother around, and his mother she was a whole other category entirely but still, she used to be better up until his father had died about a year ago. Ever since then she had been unbearable and rude he understood how hard it was to deal with, he still missed his father, but some nights it was hard to forgive her.

As he stared at the surface he noticed the darker shadow of Cato's ship up above, but... it was moving really erratically. Something seemed wrong. Then there was a flash of lightning up above and he could see the ship shudder. 

Something was wrong.

He made sure his brothers and mother were asleep and quietly swam out.

~xXx~

The waters were chaotic and it was almost impossible to get near the ship because of how they were moving. 

When he finally made it to the surface the world seemed like it was ending.

The sky was dark with a storm and the winds whipped around him throwing his wet hair in his face. A loud thunderclap shocked him back into looking at the ship. There was screaming and the sails and parts of the ship were covered in fire. Humans were screaming and throwing smaller ships overboard and jumping off.

"Don't abandon the ship you idiots! We can save it! The cargo's too valuable to lose-" A strong gust of wind knocked the man over and this was quickly followed by a lightning bolt which struck the mast.

"Gods above" Said one of the escaping sailors and Peeta agreed shaking his head with him, but wait where was-

"CATO!" Screamed a woman in one of the boats. "Where is he?!" She frantically tried to get up only to be pulled back down by another man.

"You'll capsize us fool! Get down I'm sure the captain's okay!”

Right as he was saying this the mast snapped in half and fell smashing the boat like a piece of driftwood.

"CATO" Screamed the same woman trying to throw herself out of the boat.

"IT'S TOO LATE FOR HIM-"

NO! Peeta screamed in his head along with the woman. He swam furiously around the boat looking for him. 

And he saw him. Just as the boat was going down.

~xXx~  
Fuck fuck fuck fuck. He was going to die rescuing a human and then his brothers would laugh and his mother would dance on his grave. 

The water was throwing him around and debris from the boat was everywhere. He finally found Cato and his heart almost stopped for a moment when he saw him, he ooked so still and his head was bleeding. He swam up behind him securing him arms wrapped around his chest.

God he’s so big and even in the water he’s heavy. He moved his tail viciously and propelled them towards the surface. 

As they breached the surface he felt Cato cough and sputter which was a good sign but he was clearly in no state to swim himself to safety. 

He watched as most of the ship went down sinking beneath the waves, but fortunately there was plenty of wreckage around and he found a huge piece of wood which he heaved Cato’s still lifeless body onto. 

Where is everyone else? All the escaping boats from earlier were gone so he couldn’t just leave Cato here in hopes that someone would find him. 

So he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the back of the wreckage with Cato and started pushing.

~xXx~

It was sunrise when they finally made it to shore and Cato was still unconscious. Peeta grabbed his body and wriggled both of them to the shore away from the surf so he couldn’t possibly drown. 

Hrrff! Peeta finally dropped him and collapsed on top of Cato exhausted. They had never been closer and Peeta suddenly found himself staring intently at his face.

There were so many things he would have never noticed from far away that he now observed; like the cleft in his chin, or the way his eyebrows furrowed. He realized Cato’s shirt was ripped open and he could feel his hand on his pectoral and felt the steady rise and fall of his chest. Cato’s skin was shining with droplets of water and it was so smooth and firm-

He sat up quickly and realized he was feeling up a human right now.

A human.

A human that could wake up at any second and discover him oh god oh gods. He heaved himself off Cato and was starting to make his struggle towards shore when suddenly.

He felt a hand. Around his wrist. He was awake.

Fuck.


	2. Ch. 2

The last thing that Cato remembered was... Fire. His father screaming his name. His ship and his future, the future of his family, collapsing around him like a house of cards. And for the final blow he would go down with the ship.

Fitting. He shouldn’t be allowed to live after his failure. His family would be better off with him dead.

He remembered the look of shame on his father’s face when he told him he was becoming a privateer. Okay a glorified pirate, but still this was the only job that would sustain his family and he was willing to do anything to bring power back to their name. Anything. But the look of disappointment from his mother when he told her he was working for the Capitol. Something broke inside him that day.

-And now his ship breaking apart and then. Sinking. He felt himself sinking deeper into the ocean as the his ship sucked him down.

Just like that all of his family’s money was gone.

He remembered the last cruel words his father spoke to him, and then before he blacked out, the face of an angel come to take him away.

~xXx~

He could feel something on top of him.

Someone.

He felt their cool touch caressing his chest. And then a gasp as it realized he was breathing. He was alive.

He felt the weight of the person get off his chest and start to move away, but before it could get too far he reached out to grab the wrist of his rescuer and opened his eyes to what was before him.

"An angel" He breathed heavily. 

"W-wh-what..?" Was the soft reply. Two sky blue orbs stared back at him innocently. He had beautiful wavy ash blonde hair and an exquisite jaw. 

He drew himself closer to the face of his dreams and blacked out again.

~xXx~

"W-wh-what..?" Peeta could've sworn Cato said something to him, but the man was barely awake for a minute before he was collapsed on top of him. What was he supposed to do with the human now? He was still out and couldn’t move with Cato on top of him. Fuck fuck fuck. I’ve been discovered. He was going to be banished from the ocean,stripped of his tail and disowned by his family.

He would lose everything. But not if I escape. Peeta thought to himself furiously. He tried to push Cato from on top of him or wriggle out from underneath him.

It was hopeless. 

He wasn't going anywhere until Cato woke back up and let him go.

~xXx~

Hrnngh.

He opened his eyes again and saw the face of his angel again. Only this time he saw that he was trying to escape. “Hey where do you think you’re-” Cato stopped midsentence mouth open as he finally took in all of his rescuer. 

Mainly his scaly uh appendage.

“Wow” Cato breathed "You-you rescued me from the ship?" He breathed in deeply as he took in this strange creature. His human half was quite beautiful. His face looked regal like that of royalty. and his torso was slim and lightly defined with the palest skin you ever saw. And his tail. It was a rich deep ocean blue that really made the boys’ eyes pop, and Cato found himself breathless as his fingers traced his tail feeling his smooth scales.

"Y-yeah. I saw you drowning. I-I couldn't just let you drown." He saw the boy wrap his arms around himself and blush as if embarrassed by the fact.

“But how did you see me?” Cato said absentmindedly still feeling Peeta’s tail. “How did you know I was there? And why did you rescue me, out of all people” Suddenly he found himself looking back into the, merman’s crystal blue eyes.

“I-I uh. I just happened to be swimming by and…” The merman smiled weakly. 

"Well then you truly are an angel of some sort, sent to rescue me from a watery grave." Cato replied still taking in the body of this creature, boy, merman.

"Huh..?” The boy’s face was confused and his nose wrinkled, and yes, he decided just to think of him as a boy, he hardly looked that old and calling him a merman even though the evidence was right in front of him felt odd.

"Well you don't hear about sailors being rescued from sinking ships very often now do you?" Cato smiled bemused.

"N-no." The boy replied stammering the word. "We like to keep it that way, a-atleast I'm supposed to." He started to murmur that last part rubbing his arm with his free hand.

"Something as good looking as yourself should never be hidden." Was the whispered reply. It was true the boy was beautiful in every sense of the word. But even as he was thinking about his many assets he found himself stroking his tail and thinking about it in particular. No one knows anything about the existence of these creatures, Cato thought to himself.

Peeta saw Cato’s expression of infatuation change into one of desire. And not in a good way. "As much as I’d love to…. I- really. Need. To. Go." With each word he struggled and tried to pull his wrist out of Cato's grasp.

"Don't leave so soon now." Cato smiled darkly earning himself a scared look from the boy. "I don’t believe any humans have ever seen any of your kind before." Cato continued stroking Peeta's scales.

"Uhh-uh" Peeta tried to swallow the lump in his throat staring at Cato.

"Or has anyone?" Cato looked Peeta up down. "I must be the first human to see one of you." He whispered leaning in close to Peeta's face. 

Cato was leaning right into his face. The man of his daydreams. The person he watched from the sea for days. The human. But now his usual face of focus on the sunrise was now directed at Peeta and it felt… sinister. Here he was keeping him away from the water. His lips were so close and they looked so inviting and he started to lean in and forget the look on Cato’s face and -

"CATO?!"

"What?" Cato's head whipped down towards the other end of the beach fast as anything. 

Now when he's distracted NOW!!

"CAAAATO" 

"CLOVE?!" He started to pick himself up off the boy looking around wildly shouting her name “CLOVE???” Was it possible? Did someone else on his ship besides him survive?

“CATO!”

Using the element of surprise Peeta lunged forward using the weight of his body to tackle Cato to the ground. Normally this would never have worked but since he was distracted it was perfect. Almost.

Cato was shocked to find the situation was changed with his face in the sand. He felt the boy start to inch away- NO! This boy was his future, the future of his family. Cato growled picking himself off the ground and lunged for the boy pushing him onto the ground. Surprisingly the boy managed to roll Cato beneath him, they struggled rolling a couple feet down the beach before the boy was tired and Cato had him restrained on the ground beneath him. “You’re a feisty little thing aren’t you?” He smiled at his new struggling as though it amused him, which it did. He continued talking as if Peeta’s struggle was nothing ”You can keep struggling but it wo-” Which was when he got slapped.

All of a sudden Cato’s face became red and he was right up in Peeta’s face and not in a good way. Peeta suddenly wished he had never rescued this human. The way his face was boiling with anger was absolutely terrifying and he could feel Cato’s grip strengthening around his wrists to the point of being painful and eliciting a yelp from Peeta.

Cato smiled victoriously showing off all his teeth “Good. I’ve got you right where I want you.” He breathed heavily onto Peeta causing a whimper from the boy “Now listen up, because I swear if you ever-”

“Cato!-?” A young woman in ragged clothes with a wild looking dark hair stopped in her tracks as she came upon the sight of Peeta and Cato. She had dark circles and her eyes looked puffy from crying. She seemed to be shocked both from the fact that Cato was alive and by Peeta’s tail.

“Cato? What’s going on?”

“Hey Clove. Tell the rest of the crew not to worry about the ship. I just found our treasure.”  
Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love ending with "fuck." Anyways if you've got any critiques, or you just think this is all shit lemme know.


	3. Ch. 3

After the first hour Peeta was tired of his struggling and screaming, it only made his throat burn and his arms were tired. He felt thoroughly beaten by Cato and felt like giving up on a chance of escape, especially with Cato’s iron grip securing him over his shoulder.

“Why are we stopping Clove?” Cato looked back over his shoulder, that he was currently not carrying Peeta on, realizing that everyone was a while behind them.

“Injuries” Clove called back “I think Marvel’s ankle is broken and Glimmer’s burns are flaring up and a couple others are complaining of hunger and feel faint.” 

“Well get Marvel and Glimmer some medical attention, and tell the others their problems will be solved as soon as we get there.” Cato’s voice hardened and his face went stony with the last part.

He had no idea about where they were headed but if Cato’s reaction was any indicator, it was clear it was the last place he wanted to be. The thought of being taken somewhere, even Cato doesn’t want to go he thought to himself, made his stomach churn anxiously.

“Yeah about that, Cato… some of us aren’t so sure about how much help we’ll receive from..” She paused unsure about whether to finish her statement.

“Normally they wouldn’t, but since I’ve got him” Cato replied brusquely jostling Peeta on his shoulder “They’ll be interested in us.”

Peeta felt his breath increase and his stomach do a somersault at the mention of himself.

“Yeah about him . Some of us are... concerned about him.” Clove nodded at Peeta as if he couldn’t hear them talking about him.

“Peeta. His name is Peeta”

He felt his face going red at this, he told Cato about his name a while ago, since he didn’t actually know it, and ever since he told him it felt odd to be referred to by name by him.

“Um. Yeah about Peeta. Well, some of us think that he might be dangerous..”

“Dangerous?” Cato scoffed, “If he was so dangerous how did I singlehandedly catch him?”

Even though this was a true statement Peeta felt his temperature rise at this, like he was some easy fish caught in a net!

“-And why hasn’t he escaped?”

He deflated at this, escape was impossible.

“I don’t know, don’t ask me” Clove replied raising her hands in defeat. “They just think it’s a little… suspicious is all. No tales of the Mer actually come from any living accounts..”

“So what is he going to escape and kill us all?”

“Yeees..”

“What?!” Was the shocked reply from both Peeta and Cato causing them both to look at each other before the former quickly looked away.

“I don’t know Cato! They just, well they think that it’s odd that he rescued you and got captures so easily and that it’s part of a plan to get close to humans and kill as many of us as he can.” The last half came out of her mouth quickly and nervously.

This statement earned Clove a pointed look from Cato.

“Hey-I’m not saying this, but these are the kind of rumors going around, and you haven’t really talked much to the rest of us about your plan or what’s going on beyond…”

“What nonsense! I mean look at him!” To punctuate this Cato shook Peeta on his shoulder as if to illustrate his helplessness. 

“-He can’t physically do anything! I’ve got hold of him! It’s not like he can go anywhere with his tail. He’s a beached whale.”

Peeta couldn’t help but agree with this. Even on the beach the most he could do was wriggle around. Barely.

“Go back there and tell them whatever it is you need to say to calm them all down.” He replied waving his hand, dismissing her.

As Clove went back to the rest of the group Cato walked a bit ahead away from the rest of the group and started pacing. 

“You heard all that right?! You wouldn’t-you can’t even… what a load of shit I mean…”

Peeta found himself agreeing with Cato in his head, he couldn’t get near anyone else to harm them, if he was in the water that would be another story, but he wasn’t a vicious creature, and on land he was truly helpless.

“-I mean look!” Cato threw Peeta forward onto the ground to display his inability to do anything-

-Suddenly as Peeta felt himself fall forward and he outstretched his arms to catch himself on the ground, time seemed to freeze around him. He felt a sort of tingling sensation in his tail. He was still falling through the air when he felt the sensation increase and feel quite painful and suddenly he was falling at normal speed again when-, his tail split and he caught himself-

-With legs.

~xXx~

He heard Peeta let out a yelp of pain and suddenly his breath was gone as he looked at the boy and.

He had legs.

And he was naked.

Cato was unsure which to be more in shock of.

At first having no sense of embarrassment being unclothed he just stood there shocked with his newfound limbs.

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck. Fuck everything Cato thought. He isn’t some regal statue or beautiful enigma. This mer- this boy was a hot piece of ass and Cato wanted to ravage him right then and there. He imagined picking Peeta up and biting at his neck and kissing him passionately- he found himself licking his lips as his eyes traveled up and down Peeta’s frame memorising every line and angle on the surface of the boy’s body to commit to memory.

Peeta’s face burned red as he realized that Cato’s shock had quickly turned into staring at him like a spectacle, not only because he now had legs, but because, he assumed, it was so odd to see humans without clothes! He moved his hands to cover up his front a bit and he swore he heard a moan from Cato- 

“U-um. I-I have legs” Peeta quivered “And uh-shouldn't I have some clothes?” He tilted his head questioningly and then shivered as he felt the wind blow against him.

Without thinking he quickly pulled off his shirt and shoved it at Peeta. “Here.” 

“Oh. Um. Thank you.” Peeta had to turn away from Cato so he wouldn’t stand there and just ogle his now bare chest.

That. Ass.

He pulled Cato’s shirt on over himself but due to their size differences it was quite large on him. The sleeves hung down over his hands and the hem of the shirt went down to his thighs, but at least he was covered…?

He turned around to face Cato, his legs wobbling in the process, even walking a couple of steps stung his feet and he could feel small rocks digging into the new skin of his feet.

Cato watched as Peeta stumbled around unsteadily on his new feet like a newborn, and he could tell from the grimace on his face that he was clearly in pain. 

“How..” Cato breathed as he finally took a moment to process all of this information. Was Peeta no longer a Mer? Did he do this unconsciously with some kind of magic or what if-

“Ah!” Peeta tripped over his own two feet falling towards Cato.

Cato caught him and he found himself flush against his chest looking up into his eyes. 

“W-wh-what happened to me?” He questioned.

Cato noticed that tears had started to well up in Peeta’s eyes and he couldn’t quite tell if they were from pain or fear.

He wanted nothing more than to kiss him and make all the pain go away.

“Cato! I think we’re all ready to go-” Clove jogged up and stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of a now human Peeta wearing Cato’s shirt being held by a bare chested Cato.

“What. The. Fuck.”

~xXx~

Peeta was back in his spot of being on Cato’s shoulder since it was clear that he couldn’t walk at all, especially without footwear. He now rested fitfully twitching every now and then and Cato could start to see a bit more skin as the shirt rode up his thighs ever so slight-

“-I mean this is the fucking shit that we’ve all been talking about Cato!” Clove interrupted his thoughts bringing him back to the matter at hand.

“I mean what the actual-”

“You’ve said that a million times already Clove.” Cato interrupted her massaging his head with his free hand not holding Peeta in place.

“Well I can’t stop Cato! Especially after seeing that! I mean this, this, thing obviously has some kind of shit going on no one knows about! It doesn’t even seem like he does!” Clove nearly shouted, exasperatedly.

“Shh. Don’t wake him up!” Cato whispered back as he realized from the steady rise and fall of the boy that he was asleep.

“Oh, right, don’t wake him up, what was I thinking?! ‘Oh yeah Clove make sure you’re quiet so you don’t wake the strange creature from the watery depths of the ocean!’ She whispered this last part quite loudly back at Cato.

“He’s not a monster.”

“As far as we know. In fact we don’t know! No one does! Not even himself!” Was her quick retort.

Clove was pointing out earlier that when they questioned Peeta he was as shocked as they were and had no idea about what might’ve caused his transformation. 

“-He’s dangerous Cato, a powder keg waiting to go off at any minute! We could do one wrong thing and we could all be dead for all we know!”

“Clove he’s young, almost a kid even. He’s not an evil monster or anything.”

“But you don’t know anything definitively. He’s some random creature that saved you-for some reason-and he obviously has some sort of magic that we don’t understand and you want to hand him over to-”

Cato coughed at this causing Clove to shut her mouth.

“Clove, I lost my ship and the entire investment from my family,” Cato paused, he sighing as his shoulders fell 

“I need something to bring back or else I’d be better off dead. Floating with the rest of the wreckage.”

“Cato..”

“I’m serious.”

“And so am I! And you could still end up that way-!”

“-Here we are.” Clove stopped facing the gate for half a second before turning around running back to the rest of the group.

Cato sighed and reached forward to rest his hand on the gate of his family manor.

~xXx~

Sixteen years ago.

“Okay Cato,” 

He stood on a balcony with his father overlooking their entire estate, the grounds were well kept and all the plants seemed to be flowering or in bloom.

“Eventually when you come of age, everything will fall to your shoulders. You will be in charge of all the financial decisions concerning the estate, along with everything else that comes with being a duke of these lands.” 

Cato tilted his head to the side looking up blankly at his father whose face smiled eagerly.

“I’m so glad to have a boy to pass all this down to,” His father ran his hand in his gair ruffling it. 

“And of course with the way things were with your mother, we never thought…” 

Cato saw his dad frown looking off blankly into the distance, coming back only when Cato yanked on his hand hard enough.

“Of course you’ll have years to learn everything you need to know, and the finest tutors from the Capital, and one day even a wife to sit beside you and take care of the lesser duties of the estate.” With this he bent over to pick Cato up holding him, his legs wrapped around his stomach.

“Woah you’re getting bigger every day you know kiddo-”

~xXx~

Fifteen years later.

“FUCK CATO,” His father was screaming at him his face boiling in rage. 

“GODDAMIT! YOU-YOU’VE FRITTERED ALL OUR MONEY AWAY ON YOUR IDIOTIC VENTURES,” He seethed coming closer to Cato “DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM YOUR STUDIES? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO THIS FAMILY?!”

Suddenly Cato found himself slammed against the stone wall and his head reeling from the pain, he could feel his father’s hands around his throat.

“Brutus, stop it!” His mother stormed into the room beating her fists against his back “He’s just a boy calm down!”

“He stopped being a boy the moment he took charge of this family and now he needs to deal with his consequences.” 

Cato felt his father’s grip tighten and saw the edges of his vision darken.

“This is not the way to handle this!” She shouted.

He saw his mother push him off and started to sink down the wall regaining his breath.

“FUCK-”

After several minutes of listening to his parents argue he shook as he stood up propped up against the wall.

“Don’t worry about the money,” He choked out “I got a job working for the Capital as a privateer. Benefits are quite good from them and-”

Cato was interrupted by the sting of a sharp slap across the face leaving him stunned and speechless.

“HOW DARE YOU. SHAMING THIS FAMILY TO WORK AS A MILITARY PUPPET TO THAT-”

Cato was at a loss for words. He had screwed everything up severely and now he was paying for it. 

“-SEE YOU EVER AGAIN. YOU’RE NO SON OF MINE.” And with that his father marched away and left Cato to watch as his mother sobbed running out of the room also leaving him alone.

He wouldn’t see either of his parents for a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes ending on a happy note. Anyways I’ve decided Cato’s 22 in this story so he would be six in his earlier flashback. Also Peeta’s 18. I hoped you liked this chapter, it’s slightly longer and hopefully you like some parts of it. Hope you guys like the story so far tell me what you want or hate, hopes, dreams, fears, etc.


End file.
